So Part 1 covered why the ‘meta bans’ have some pretty simple counters. Part 2 of this will cover some ACTUALLY meta bans, because, you know, any team that picks them and has a good one will destroy you. Always.
Here goes the list: Baron, Kestrel, Flicker, old man Ardan, Cathy, Lyra, Churnwalker, and Varya.
Yes, this list has a lot of supports, and AOE or global heroes. This comes into play a lot in 5v5 because of one basic thing: almost every serious push in 5v5 is either a team effort, or going to be countered by an enemy team effort, and all these heroes either inflict worlds of hurt on that team, or make the team effort that much more deadly.
Now granted, since these aren’t the most common picks in some tiers, you could argue to save your bans for someone more likely to be picked. I would only argue that while you are correct, just know that if you see one of these heroes on the enemy team, you may be in for a world of hurting and struggle, so beware.
Also, pick these to place the team your facing in a world of hurt and make them early surrender. Enjoy easy rank up! Here goes:
Debated starting this with him. As they say, save the best for last! But hell, I’m itching to see more of him, so here’s THE most banworthy hero in 5v5 atm: Baron. Specifically CP Baron.
He is hell. Hell incarnate. A good Baron on the enemy team can always sway the fight in their favor, regardless of who else the enemy picks (besides when there’s a Taka on the opposing team and your team’s vision sucks. Letting you potential Baron-pickers know early.)
Baron is an absolute monster in 5v5 because of the heavier focus on team pushing and team defending, rather than solo carrying. It’s simple, he will bomb the ever-loving poo out of any team, leaving multiple enemies battle scarred and ready to be picked off, and his biggest utility comes from his global ult. Enemy team going for a dragon before you? Nuke 'em from space! then let your team push in to pick them off and steal it, or steal it yourself, even from base! Teamate struggling against a coordinated push and they are alone? Nuke 'em from space! and make the enemies think twice about finishing that push. Minions pushing a lane turret your team isn’t in? Nuke 'em from space! and ping that one teamate that always wants to tagalong with the group or jungle to get back to their lane. Your minions pushing a turret the enemy team isn’t in and you want to secure it? You know the deal. His global ult is the most single, handedly destructive and tactical weapon on the rise. Use it often, to sway every fight.
Next we have Kestrel. And her global ult (bit of a theme here). Kestrel can do work on her own wherever she is, but her biggest strength comes from being able to finish off any enemy who thought they might just have a chance of beating or escaping whoever they were facing, anywhere. Kestrel’s sniping potential is deadly in the right hands, and just when you think you’re clear, she will remind you that she ALWAYS has you in her sights. A good Kestrel will always be watching the map no matter where she is, finding those opportune moments to wipe an enemy off the face of the rise, and therefore, no opponent or objective is truly safe if a Kestrel is in play, which matters much more on the rises longer to traverse map.
Then we have Flicker, the unsung hero and another global ult user that is a force to be reckoned with in 5v5. Flicker makes enemy scout cams a moot point. As long as he gains invisibility, he will always see them and can destroy them, severely limiting enemy vision. The real perk of flicker is, again, the use of ult power. Flicker can help engage a push or assist in an escape from anywhere on the map. His global stealth and speed boost is never going to be a bad thing…for your team. And with more slots to fill for 5v5, you don’t have to skimp on damage dealers on your team by picking him!
Ardan doesn’t have a global ult, but his gauntlet is as supportive or as deadly as ever. Dropping it on a contested dragon push can buy your team ample time, and allow enemies to trickle into their deaths, or try to foolishly trickle out away from it, and die anyway, not to mention pinning 5 enemies in in 5v5 is useful in many situations.
Catherine. A roaming stun factory. Drop her ult during contested pushes at the right time and steal a dragon every time. Not to mention she can hassle in lane like the best of them.
Lyra’s biggest danger comes from being able to drop a total of 5 enemies on you from way further away than you might think, and her healing and barrier can shut down the way they always have. You can’t really go wrong with a good Lyra on your team, provided the team knows how to use portals effectively.
Churnwalker is an underrated pick in 5v5 but his deadliness hasn’t changed, especially for those contested dragon picks or frantic lane fights. He benefits from having more to hook to in 5v5, therefore instantly more damage potential where it counts.
Varya is another dangerous one in the right hands. Her chain-attacks are a pain from the backline in 5v5, even worse when there’s 2 other people in your face, but the fun starts with global ulting while the whole enemy team is in a frantic fight. 5 bolts hitting the enemy while they walk all over each other to get away, at a 3 round volley, has a habit of hitting someone at least more than once, not to mention the global vision potential, among other things.
So there you have a list of the most underrated ban worthy heroes in 5v5! There are some honorable mentions, like Celeste & Rona, but some of their weaknesses made me decide not to include them in this list.
Also, I pretty much made this for Baron. Use him. Win. Rinse. Repeat.